patera

views updated May 11 2018

pat·er·a / ˈpatərə/ • n. (pl. -er·ae / -ərē/ ) 1. a broad shallow dish used in ancient Rome for pouring libations. ∎ Archit. a flat, round ornament resembling a shallow dish.2. a broad, shallow bowl-shaped feature on a planet's surface.

patera

views updated May 23 2018

patera (pl. paterae). Circular or elliptical dish-like Classical ornament in bas-relief, like a shallow medallion with a raised decorated centre, often incorporating flutes. When further enriched to represent a flower, it is termed rosette. It occurs in coffers, on friezes, and as punctuations on walls, especially in C18.

patera

views updated May 08 2018

patera An irregular or complex martian structure, with scalloped edges, usually a volcanic caldera. The classic example is Alba Patera (110° W, 40° N), the volcano of largest areal extent on Mars, but only 3 km high. On the jovian satellite Io, the term is used for a volcanic crater surrounded by irregular flows. The name is derived from a type of shallow, ceremonial dish used by the Romans.

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